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I&A has just begun a pilot program we are calling TheraFit. (Therapy and Fitness)

It was birthed by one of our therapists in her quest to aid in the support of those who suffer with depression and/or anxiety. The premise is that a healthy mind-body agreement is vital to overall mental health and the endorphins required in the physical exertion affects depressive and anxious symptoms in a way that medication cannot.

We are so excited about this project. We have 16 participants for the pilot program. They meet with two professional coaches twice a week for a group workout at their individual fitness level and a positive quote of the week as the backdrop. The way it works is that each person is given a pre-mid- and post-depression and anxiety assessment. At each workout session, they also track their pre and post levels of anxiety. These levels will be benchmarked and tracked for progress for each participant to see the overall effects of this combination of therapy and fitness for eight weeks.

Exercise is a powerful depression fighter for several reasons. Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.

Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins. Anything that gets you moving can help, but you’ll get a bigger benefit if you pay attention instead of zoning out say authors, Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Melinda Smith, M.A.

All participants are also involved either in individual therapy and/or group therapy. Because nearly 1 in 4 Americans have some type of mental illness each year, with depression ranking as the second leading cause of disability, there is also a nutrition plan that supports healthy brain function because we all know…”we are what we eat”.

“Traditionally, we haven’t been trained to ask about food and nutrition,” says psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University. “But diet is potentially the most powerful intervention we have. By helping people shape their diets, we can improve their mental health and decrease their risk of psychiatric disorders.”

“A very large body of evidence now exists that suggests diet is as important to mental health as it is to physical health,” says Felice Jacka, president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research. “A healthy diet is protective and an unhealthy diet is a risk factor for depression and anxiety.”

Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is here. Many people use this as the jumping off point for resolutions for more exercise and less food. More relaxation and less work…more time for relationships and less time spent checking off the “to do list”. What is the promise you have made for self-improvement in this New Year? Will you keep your promise? Have you told anyone about it so they can help you to be accountable? Why do you need to do (or not do) the thing you are committing to?

As author, John Ortberg, says, “If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat”. The foundation for that statement is Peter, the disciple who asked Jesus to prove Himself by having Peter walk on the water. Some consider Peter a failure because he didn’t stay on top of the water. But, Ortberg asks a great question…what about the disciples who stayed in the boat. Does anyone give them a second thought? Do you ever hear sermons about those guys?

This New Year, maybe you should ask yourself if you would like to be more like Peter or more the like the guys in the boat. Would you rather be a leader who dares to take risks or a complacent, mediocre, “safe” person?

In my practice I often see people who live their lives in the shadow of fear.

The “what if’s” of life that are typically negative in nature. What if I don’t get the job…what if I don’t get the promotion…what if this is not the right marriage partner…what if I make all of these changes and I am still lonely in my relationship…what if I try to communicate and people don’t listen…what if I give my teen a little slack and he takes advantage of it….what if…what if…what if. These people are depressed, miserable, and fearful. They struggle through their lives without joy and without personal growth and maturity. Facing our fears is success. Who doesn’t want to be successful? Who wants to be negative and glum? No one has ever come into my therapy office and had misery and pessimism as a goal. Everyone wants to be content. Everyone wants to have joy.

I believe that Peter is a great example of the positive what if’s and a great example of pro-actively owning his convictions and taking hold of his own responsibility for success. He said what if I CAN walk on water? What if I DO succeed in taking this risk?

This year, why not Believe the Best rather than to Assume the Worst? Face your fears and ask yourself, what if I DO succeed? What if the changes I am committing to ARE going to bring me joy and peace? What if I DO feel better because of the activities I have decided to adopt? What if they DO become part of my life? What if I DON’T quit?

We all wait until New Year’s or “Monday” to start something new or turn over a new leaf. Why put off success or joy or contentment? Start NOW. Because, you know, if you want to walk on water…you have to get out of the boat.